The second game in the <em>Duke Nukem</em> series turns things up several notches. The quality of sprites, the pacing, animation, and level of freedom is an incredible contrast to the standard introduced by the game prior. 

The sound effects are also at a completely new level, and the only thing that seems to have gone backwards are the narrative implements. 

While text is easier to read (and there's awesome little details in the background of each level) - those scrolling walls of text between levels and missions don't seem to be as prominent or plentiful at first glance. 

That's a good thing in a way, as it means there was so much more time for the dev team to focus on the gameplay itself, which marks itself firmly in the "oh god this is a lot of fun", especially with the rapid-fire power up. 

The typical frustrations that plague platforming games, however, are not here, much like the previous game in the series. There's careful design, and importantly - again, a health bar, to protect you from yourself and the myriad of varied foes you'll encounter. 

I'm looking forward to the next one in my list - something I've never played, but have seen, heard, and read enough about over the years - <em>Duke Numem 3D</em>. 

I'll be back with my thoughts on that when I'm through!